Michael Connolly

MLA For Calgary-Hawkwood

Community Updates

March 2017

Spring Break will be coming up at the end of March. This month, I had the opportunity to visit grade 6 students in the riding to talk about my role as an MLA and the work of government. After chatting with them, I know the break is well deserved! I hope students, staff and parents can take the time to enjoy it before classes resume in April.

In January, I hosted my first Telephone Townhall. Telephone townhalls are the most cost efficient way to meet with a large amount of constituents. Thank you to everyone who took the time to listen in. I plan to host more in the future, so if you do not wish to be called next time simply email my office at Calgary.hawkwood@assembly.ab.ca with Do Not Call in the subject line. Just make sure to include your phone number in the email.

We’ve seen what can be done when constituents give feedback on what’s needed in our community. The ban on predatory door-to-door energy sales happened thanks to feedback from Albertans, including many from Citadel and Hawkwood. On February 22nd, I hosted a Budget Consultation event at Ranchlands Community Hall to gather more feedback. Thank you to everyone who took the time to stop in.

On February 25th, I took my second plunge in Arbour Lake to raise money for Special Olympics Alberta. Thank you to the Law Enforcement Torch Run for Special Olympics Alberta for giving back to our community and the staff and volunteers at Arbour Lake for putting together such a fun and successful event.

Thank you for taking the time to read my update. If you have any questions or concerns, come to my office at #29, 735 Ranchlands Blvd NW, call 403-216-5444, or email my office at calgary.hawkwood@assembly.ab.ca.

February 2017

Family Day is an opportunity for Albertans to take time and reflect on the importance of loving families. This year Family Day falls on February 20th. I hope this Family Day, you get to celebrate all that our families bring to us, whether it’s the family you were born into or the family you chose.

In January, we received the BC government’s environmental approval of the Kinder Morgan pipeline. This is an important step forward for Alberta’s oil and gas industry. When Alberta has a serious conversation with the rest of Canada about our energy industry, it leads to results.

I am excited to be participating in Ranchland’s Winterfest on Saturday, February 11th. There will be skating, sledding, winter games and some crafts for the whole community. I’m looking forward to handing out some hot chocolate!

When: Saturday, February 11th

12pm-4pm

Where: Ranchlands Community Hall

7713 Ranchview Dr NW,

On July 1, 2016, the government introduced the Seniors Home Adaptation and Repair Program (SHARP). This program allows senior homeowners aged 65 and older to finance home repairs and adaptations. The program provides low-interest home equity loans to a maximum of $40,000 per household to seniors with a household income of $75,000 or less.

Low-income seniors who do not qualify under the loan program may be eligible for a grant to help pay for essential home repairs. The average loan amount is $13,000 for a single senior and $16,000 for a couple. If you would like more information on the program, please call the Service Alberta Call Centre toll free at 1-877-427-4088 or email seniorsharp@gov.ab.ca.

Thank you for taking the time to read my community update. If you have any questions or concerns, you can contact my office at calgary.hawkwood@assembly.ab.ca or 403-216-5444.

January 2017

I want to wish everyone a Happy New Year! Due to increased investment across Alberta and our low tax regime, the economy is projected to pick up in 2017. New petrochemical projects created through the government’s Alberta’s Petrochemicals Diversification Program and the approval of the Kinder Morgan and Line 3 pipelines are great news for many Albertans.

Our made-in Alberta plan is getting results. Albertans don't have to choose between jobs and the environment.

The pipelines decision means:

Access to the largest market in the world for our oil and gas resources.

Jobs and prosperity for Albertans and Canadians alike.

Fairer value for our oil and gas exports.

An end to Alberta’s energy resource landlock.

If you are a single Albertan whose net income is below $47,500 or a couple or family whose net income is below $95,000 and filed your tax return, you will receive a full Carbon rebate. The rebate begins to phase out above these amounts, but singles earning less than $51,250 and a family with two children earning less than $101,500 will receive a partial rebate.

In 2017, the full rebate will be $200 for singles, $300 for couples and $360 for a couple with two children ($30 per child up to a maximum of four children). Rebates will provide upfront, timely support to lower- and middle-income Albertans.

I want to thank everyone who took the time to come by my Holiday Open House at my office on December 4th. I was impressed so many people were able to make it out in our first snow storm of the year!

Thank you for taking the time to read my update. If you have any questions or concerns, come to my office at #29, 735 Ranchlands Blvd NW, call 403-216-5444, or email my office at calgary.hawkwood@assembly.ab.ca.

December 2016

I want to take this opportunity to say Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, and Happy New Year to everyone in my constituency! I hope you all get to spend quality time with your loved ones over the holidays.

On November 16th, I was able to hold a curriculum consultation event at the Arbour Lake Residents Hall. There was still a great turnout from parents, students, teachers, and community members to talk about the future of Alberta’s curriculum.

Thank you to everyone who stopped by to chat with me over coffee at St. Thomas United Church in Hawkwood on Sunday, November 20th. An extra thank you to the congregation at St. Thomas who were kind enough to invite me to attend the Sunday Sermon and open their doors to the entire community.

I will be hosting my 2nd Annual Holiday Open House on Sunday, December 4th at my constituency office.

2nd Annual Holiday Open House

Where: Calgary-Hawkwood Constituency Office

#29-735 Ranchlands Blvd NW

When: Sunday, December 4th

1pm - 3pm

The Government has launched a school nutrition pilot program in 14 school boards across Alberta to help prepare students for a healthy future. We know that when students are well fed, they are better prepared to learn.

To help make life easier for Albertan families, the government is taking the first step toward $25-per-day child care. The government is inviting non-profit organizations to apply to develop 18 new Early Learning and Child Care Centres across the province. The $10-million investment will create an estimated 1,000 new child-care spaces and up to 230 new child-care jobs across Alberta.

Thank you for taking the time to read my community update. If you have any questions or feedback, you can contact me and my team at 403-216-5444 or calgary.hawkwood@assembly.ab.ca.

November 2016

Remembrance Day is fast approaching. I hope everyone can take the time to reflect on the ultimate sacrifice made by the men and women who gave their lives to serve our country. Don’t forget to wear your poppy to support our veterans and the Royal Canadian Legion.

Thank you to everyone who took the time to stop by my Coffee Events in Arbour Lake, Ranchlands and Silver Springs. It was great to see a good turnout from members of our community.

The next stop of my Coffee Tour will be at St. Thomas United Church in Hawkwood.

Where: St. Thomas United Church

100 Hawkwood Blvd NW

When: Sunday, November 20th

11am-12:30pm

Thank you to the congregation of St. Thomas for inviting me and all constituents in the riding of Calgary-Hawkood to come together and talk about issues that matter to our community.

Real groundwork is being made on the Calgary Cancer Centre that will be located here in Northwest Calgary. The Calgary Cancer Centre will improve cancer care for families here in Calgary and across Alberta. The facility will open in 2024 and include:

160 inpatient beds

12 new radiation vaults, plus three shelled spaces for future development

Clinical trials unit and research laboratories

Outpatient cancer clinics

Starting in January 2017, Albertan small and medium-sized businesses will be able to apply for the Alberta Investor Tax Credit. The AITC will provide investors strong incentives to channel capital to newer, non-traditional sectors that offer highly-skilled employment, like technology. Organizations like the Calgary Chamber of Commerce support these new tax credits that will create jobs and diversify our economy.

Thank you for taking the time to read my update. If you have any questions or concerns, please stop by my office at #29, 735 Ranchlands Blvd NW, call 403-216-5444, or email my at calgary.hawkwood@assembly.ab.ca.

October 2016

October brings the opportunity to spend much needed time with family during the Thanksgiving weekend. I hope you can all take some time to reflect with family and friends.

I will be hosting Coffee Chat events across Calgary-Hawkwood throughout October and November.

Silver Springs Community Hall

5720 Silver Ridge Drive NW.

Tuesday, October 11th

5:00pm -7:30pm

Arbour Lake Residents Hall

12 Arbour Lake Dr NW

Saturday, October 15th

12pm-3pm

Ranchlands Community Hall

7713 Ranchview Dr NW

Saturday, October 22nd

12pm-3pm

I will be announcing future dates in November, so stay tuned to next month's issue.

The Government has approved the proposals for three new oilsands projects:

In October 2014, the Government of Alberta and the City of Calgary signed an agreement to develop Big City Charters to support the cities’ unique needs and benefit all Albertans by building strong, vibrant cities that attract trade, investment and economic diversification.

There will be two open houses in Calgary so our community can give feedback on how charter policies can help ensure Calgarians receive the best services from our City while driving the economy.

During tough times, Albertans expect their governments to make smart decisions to grow the economy and deliver quality services effectively.

The City Charter can help Calgary by improving administrative efficiency, enhancing coordination, ensuring smarter community planning and protecting the environment.

Tuesday, October 11

5:30 to 8:30 p.m.

Dining Room

Calgary Elks Lodge and Golf Club

2502 6th Street NE

Wednesday, October 12

5:30 to 8:30 p.m.

Pekiska Room

McDougall Centre

455 6th Street SW

Thank you for taking the time to read my community update. If you have any questions or feedback, you can contact me and my team at 403-216-5444 or calgary.hawkwood@assembly.ab.ca.

September 2016

The beginning of September marks a special time for families in our community, with many starting their first day of school, and others, their graduation year. I want to wish a successful 2016-2017 school-year to all students, teachers, administrators and support staff.

The Government is about to start a new curriculum development process that will determine the future of K to 12 education in Alberta. Albertans will have the opportunity to provide their feedback on the development of new curriculum in the upcoming fall. If you would like to be notified once that process begins, please email my office at calgary.hawkwood@assembly.ab.cawith “Curriculum” in the subject line.

It’s important for MLAs to go out into the community as many people don’t have the time to talk to us during regular office hours. I’ve been visiting the Crowfoot CTrain station to chat with constituents over coffee on their way to work.

Alberta’s small brewers are some of the best in Canada. It's important that our breweries have the tools they need to create jobs and help diversify our economy. Our government is investing in local job creators with the Alberta Small Brewers Development Program. Alberta brewers who sell no more than 300,000 hectoliters of beer annually are eligible to participate.

The grants will give Alberta’s small brewers the flexibility to invest in their businesses, enabling them to increase production capacity, and make important capital improvements. It’s just one part of the Alberta Jobs Plan.

Thank you for taking the time to read my community update. If you have any questions or feedback, you can contact me and my team at 403-216-5444 or calgary.hawkwood@assembly.ab.ca.

August 2016

Thank you to everyone who attended my first BBQ at our constituency office on July 3rd. It was a great way to kick off the Stampede season! We had folks from all over the riding, and I’m already looking forward to hosting our BBQ next year.

Stampede is always a fun and busy time of year for Calgarians. I was able to attend Stampede events in Ranchlands, Arbour Lake, Citadel, Hawkwood, YMCA Melcor at Crowfoot, as well as around the city. Our community Stampede events couldn’t happen without the work of our community association boards and volunteers. Thank you to everyone who put in their time and effort to put together accessible Stampede events for all ages.

While it seems like summer has just begun, it’s now time for many families and teachers to start getting ready for back-to-school. The Government has announced plans to embark on a new curriculum development process that will set a roadmap for the future of K to 12 education in Alberta, starting in September 2016. Albertans will have the opportunity to provide their feedback on the development of new curriculum in the fall of 2016. If you would like to be notified by my office one that process begins, please email my office at calgary.hawkwood@assembly.ab.ca with “Curriculum” in the subject line.

Thank you for reading my community update. If you have any questions or feedback, you can contact me and my team at 403-216-5444 or Calgary.hawkwood@assembly.ab.ca.

July 2016

The spring legislative session is finally over and I look forward to spending the summer months in our community. If you would like to set up an appointment, please contact my office or maybe I will see you on the doorstep!

I had a great Neighbour Day in Ranchlands and Silver Springs. Thank you to the community association boards and volunteers that made such a fun day possible. It was inspiring to see Albertan communities come together after the fire in Fort McMurray and Neighbour Day is the perfect opportunity to bring everyone together.

With interest rates at historic lows and an economy in need of support, there is no better time to invest for the future. Budget 2016 continues the ambitious plan introduced last year to build and upgrade new roads, schools and hospitals and create thousands of new jobs.

The government is working to diversify our economy and make doing business better for employers and staff:

Getting more value and jobs from our resources through the Petrochemical Diversification Fund.

Working with our partners to get to “yes” on pipelines.

Cutting the small business tax by one third – from 3% to 2%.

Supporting business with new Alberta Investor Tax Credit and Capital Investment Tax Credit.

$10 million in new funding for Innovate Calgary, TEC Edmonton and regional commercial organizations through Alberta Innovates to support innovation and job creation.

I’ll be hosting a Stampede BBQ on Sunday, July 3rd at our constituency office in Ranchlands from 12pm-2pm. We will have hot dogs, live music, and face painting for the kids!

Thank you for taking the time to read my community update. If you have any suggestions or concerns you can reach my office at 403-216-5444, email at calgary.hawkwood@assembly.ab.ca or stop by my office in Ranchlands.

June 2016

The wildfires in Fort McMurray have had a devastating effect on many families here in Alberta. Nothing can replace the memories and homes lost, but Albertans are resilient. It has been truly inspiring to see how our province has banded together to help each other out. I am blown away by the kindness of Calgarians who have done everything they can to help evacuees. I encourage everyone to donate to the Red Cross at www.redcross.ca or call our office to find ways you can donate your time to help the people of Fort McMurray.

Thank you to everyone who contacted my office with feedback on the Alberta Jobs Plan over the last few months. One of the main concerns that has come up time and time again is jobs. It’s important we continue to support our business sector and I’m confident the budget will do that. The Alberta Jobs Plan includes projects to support job creators. For example, the Petrochemical Diversification Plan is helping Alberta attract billions of dollars in new investment – while refining our oil products at home.

Around 80% of Albertans work for small or medium size businesses. That's why our government is cutting the small business tax by a third, making it among the lowest in the country and creating an investor tax credit, which the Calgary Chamber of Commerce has been asking the provincial government to create for years. This will help to ease the burden this recession has placed on our job creators.

I’ll be hosting a Stampede BBQ on Sunday, July 3rd at our constituency office in Ranchlands from 12pm-2pm. I hope you can join me for a burger or hotdog!

Thank you for taking the time to read my community update. If you have any suggestions or concerns you can reach my office by phone at 403-216-5444, email at calgary.hawkwood@assembly.ab.ca or stop by my office at #29, 735 Ranchlands Blvd NW.

May 2016

Spring is finally here! With the spring season comes the budget and I am pleased with what Finance Minister Joe Ceci has put forward.

Constituents have told me that their priorities are controlling spending while ensuring every tax dollar is spent wisely and creating jobs while fostering economic diversification, so that’s what Budget 2016: The Alberta Jobs Plan is all about.

Budget 2016 will institute cost-savings measures, including freezing salaries for political staff and government managers and reducing the number of government agencies, boards and commissions to control the growth of operating spending.

These are just some of the highlights from the budget that will help families and business owners:

A reduction of 1/3 of the small business tax – from 3% to 2%;

The new Alberta Investor Tax Credit and the Capital Investment Tax Credit will support Alberta businesses to grow and create jobs;

Spending held at 2% growth, below the rate of growth in population plus inflation;

380,000 children will be helped through the new Child Benefit and increased tax credits;

$34.8 billion will go towards putting Albertans back to work by building roads, schools and hospitals;

We are entering the second year of the post-secondary tuition freeze and our new investments in skills training will help unemployed Albertans upgrade their skills.

I would like to hear your thoughts on the budget and the work I am doing. I hope you can join me for a Meet and Greet at my office (#29, 735 Ranchlands Blvd NW) on Saturday, May 7th from 1pm-3pm.

Thank you for taking the time to read my community update. Please sign up for our email newsletter at calgary.hawkwood@assembly.ab.ca, come by our office at #29, 735 Ranchlands Blvd NW, or call us at 403-216-5444 with your feedback or questions.

April 2017

I want to thank everyone who was able to attend my Budget Consultation event at Ranchlands Community Hall in late February. There were diverse ideas on what we can do, but some wants were very clear like diversifying our economy and protecting front-line services like healthcare and education.

Budget 2017 was tabled on March 16th with a focus on keeping taxes on families the lowest in Canada and investing in long-overdue repairs and modernizations of our schools and hospitals:

A 25% reduction in school fees, saving families over $50 million.

A new long-term care home in Calgary

Maintains Alberta’s tax advantage and increases it to $8.7 billion over every other Canadian province

Cuts growth of government spending by targeting waste and excessive salaries and perks at government agencies including eliminating perks such as retention bonuses, golf club memberships and housing allowances

I was proud to join Education Minister David Eggen at Ranchlands School in March to announce legislation which will eliminate and reduce school fees for Albertan families. As the economy recovers, Albertans expect their government to help them through the downturn to make things better for families. Reducing and eliminating school fees will mean one less thing that families have to worry about to make ends meet. I am proud to stand up for quality, affordable education in Calgary-Hawkwood where many young parents choose to raise their children.

Please send me your personal stories on what reducing school fees will mean to your family. I will share them in the Legislature so that all Albertans know this is the right thing to do for our province.

Thank you for taking the time to read my community update. You can contact my office at calgary.hawkwood@assembly.ab.ca or 403-216-5444, or visit me and my team at #29-735 Ranchlands Blvd NW.

April 2016

Polar Plunge for Special Olympics 2016

On February 28, I did what many people ask of their local politicians and jumped into Arbour Lake, however, it was in support of Special Olympics Alberta.

My team successfully raised $1,025.00 to go towards enriching the lives of Albertans with intellectual disabilities through the joy and empowerment of sport.

Thank you to all the donors, volunteers, and the Calgary fire rescue team who made this event such a success.

I'd also like to thank the 117 local law enforcement officers as well as everyone else who took the plunge to help raise funds for this well deserving group.

On March 8, the Speech from the Throne was delivered by the Lieutenant Governor, the Honourable Lois Mitchell, and outlined the Alberta government’s priorities and legislative agenda for 2016.

To support Albertans in these challenging economic circumstances, this government will act to:

Get Pipelines built to diversify our energy markets,

Pursue an economic development strategy to create jobs and diversify our economy,

Invest in a greener, more sustainable economy,

Take a responsible approach to public spending, and

Pursue democratic reform to ensure public accountability.

Thank you for taking the time to read my update. If you have any questions, comments, or would like more information about what my office can do for you, please don’t hesitate to contact my team by phone at 403-216-5444 or by email at calgary.hawkwood@assembly.ab.ca.